RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE STORM GUARDIAN
An Alley
Gokudera, Yamamoto and Hibari have come to this alley to seeking somewhere peaceful and quite. Gokudera settles for a moment as he looks around the alley, struggling to believe that it or anything else in the world is real.
"Damn" he says simply as he punches the wall, "DAMN, DAMN, DAMN" he repeats as he hits the wall in time with his curses. The storm guardian should be holding back to avoid drawing attention but he doesn't bother to restrain his power as he creates a fist shaped dent in the metallic structure.
Yamamoto grabs Gokudera's arm to interrupt his friend's tantrum. "There was nothing you could have done" the rain guardian comforts.
Gokudera throws Yamamoto off in frustration. "That's what frustrates me, baseball idiot" he explains, "It's my powerlessness that caused the boss to get hurt".
A moment passes as water drips down from above, the collision of water on concrete and the nearby engines of cars the only things preventing complete silence. Gokudera looks Yamamoto in the eye, "Don't you understand the situation we're…" he begins.
"OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND" shouts Yamamoto as returns his friends gaze with far more intensity. "And I feel exactly the same, we were powerless to help Tsuna" he says as Gokudera averts his gaze, regretting what he said.
Yamamoto calms down for a second before continuing, "I'm a guardian too you know, I know that we will die… my parents are here and they could die to". Yamamoto thinks about his parents; his father has some modicum of strength but cannot begin to comprehend the mafia world. "Have you even considered that I have to explain the mafia to them?" asks Yamamoto.
Byakuran watches on as his student continues, "And I am… I am… I AM NOT A BASEBALL IDIOT".
Finally, deciding to intervene Hibari walks to the arguing pair and slaps the two of them. "What the hell do you think you are doing" Gokudera yells at the cloud guardian.
"You're getting hysterical" Hibari explains without raising his voice. In these situations, Hibari usually opts to train in private or rest somewhere nobody can see him. Hibari's presence in this grouping proves just how serious the situation is.
"You need to sit back and manage this situation carefully" the policeman recommends, "We have a duty as mafia to save as many civilian lives as possible".
Gokudera takes a deep breath after considering what Hibari is saying. "You're right" he says before he turns to the baseball player, "I'm sorry Yamamoto".
Sasagawa Ryohei arrives in the alley, following the directions of several of their allies he is successful in finding his comrades. "I've found you guys" he says, pointing out the obvious as he always has done.
"Brother is going to live" he says with a negative attitude, "But he isn't going to be on his feet for quite some time". Ryohei is an incredibly positive person, always pushing limits and never taking his foot of the gas but even the sun guardian is failing to take all this damage onto his body.
"That is not good news" notes Hibari, the overconfident fighter knowing that he is powerless against the potential attackers.
"Then we need to find a way to defend Italy until he is back in action" notes Yamamoto, it would go against the very principles of the family if they were to flee without even trying to defend the country.
Following a few minutes behind Ryohei, Iemitsu arrives at the alley and joins the conversation. "Everyone" he begins, "I'm going to tell you something you may not be ready to hear".
"What is it?" asks Ryohei.
"We're ready for anything" Yamamoto assures the now former CEDEF leader.
"The Japanese government, the Japanese military, they have fallen to the Yakuza" Iemitsu informs his juniors.
"What" asks Yamamoto in surprise.
"I can't believe it" stammers Byakuran, sharing his hosts surprise.
"The entire country… has been taken?" Ryohei lets the words roll of his tongue.
"I thought the police hadn't contacted me in a while" notes Hibari as he looks at his phone, "This is not good" he says reinforcing his earlier dismay.
An entire country had fallen to the Yakuza, this was unprecedented. The guardians had seen this only once before, when they went to the future and Byakuran took over the world. That situation was different though, the Shimon would have soon taken care of the Millefiore given that they still could have accessed the family treasures.
"I don't want to alarm you but there are some very important people on the other end of this phone" he says as he raises his mobile and dangles it by a string. "They want to speak to the Vongola but it's not up to me anymore, it's your choice if you want to tell them about Tsuna".
The guardians all dip their heads in consideration, Iemitsu is right, they are the ones the entire world is looking towards now, they are not just a golden generation with a lot of potential. "Which one of you wants this call?".
"Gokudera, you are the boss' right hand man, you take it" instructs Ryohei, the eldest of the guardians.
"Leave it to me" says Gokudera, calming himself as he is reminded of his role. Technically at this moment it is Gokudera's job to lead the mafia as Tsuna's right hand man. He takes the phone from his leader's father.
"I suggest you put it on speaker phone so we can all hear" Hibari says to his fellow guardian.
Gokudera nods and pushes the speaker button.
The Hospital
As Nana and Lambo sit by Tsuna's bed neither say a word as they look over their dear family member. The only sound is from Dokuro who seems to be chanting something while holding a lucky charm.
Dino opens the door using a disabled button and wheels in Chrome Hino, drawing the gaze of everyone in the room. Now that Hino is here Dokuro wanders just how much she knows.
"Mother he…" Dokuro starts before being interrupted.
"I know everything Dokuro, I'm not particularly happy that you are involved with the mafia" says Hino, confirming her daughters fears.
"But…" begins Dokuro.
"Let me finish" continues Hino, "I'm not happy but I've been told about what Tsuna has done, I've been told about the overwhelming odds we are facing so I won't leave you at a time like this".
"I'll join you in prayer" explains Hino as she sees what her daughter is doing.
"Thank you" replies Dokuro as she returns to her prayers.
Happy that they have reached an acceptable solution Reborn turns to his student. "In that case we can't afford to wait any longer Dino, we have to go train".
Dino nods to his teacher, "Let's go find Enma".
"Yeah" replies Reborn, agreeing that teaching Enma is one of the most critical elements of the upcoming battle.
The Alley
As Gokudera puts the phone onto speaker he begins the conversation, "This is the storm guardian of the Vongola family, I'm the 10th's right hand man, Gokudera Hayato".
"I don't know what you have been told but this is a closed phone call, there is no chance of anyone listening in and it won't be heard by anyone who isn't listening this very second" begins a man on the other end of the phone.
"Besides yourself, this call contains myself and two other people, only ourselves and our predecessors have known about the mafia's strength for several generations" he continues, "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Ivan Pinto, I am the Italian Prime Minister, with me on this call is Donato Gallo, the superior general of our armies and Pedro Silva the current pope".
"Nice to meet you all" stammers Gokudera, not quite knowing how to greet such high profile figures.
"What is this nonsense" begins General Gallo, "We asked to speak to the Vongola family boss, not some aide".
"The boss is… he is… he's in critical condition following a fight with the Yakuza" Gokudera decides to inform the trio.
"Damn" curses the general.
"Then it's too late" sighs Prime Minister Pinto.
"Mr Gokudera, is there really no way to protect this country from the Yakuza" asks Pope Silva.
"Perhaps not" begins Gokudera, "I can make some recommendations to you, I know that the Yakuza are likely to come by boat, General Donato Gallo, I suggest you put a blockade out at sea".
"How do we defeat the Yakuza at sea" asks Gallo.
"I'm going to be honest, you don't" explains Gokudera, "Those men and women will be sacrificial pawns, there only purpose would be to slow down the Yakuza's inevitable arrival".
"I can't just throw away the lives of my troops to slow them down" Gallo sternly declares through the phone.
"I'm afraid you have no choice" Gokudera tells the general before switching his attention back to Pinto, "Mr Pinto, it has gotten far enough along now, perhaps it is time you told everyone that the mafia is back to being vigilantes".
Gokudera continues his plea to improve the public image of mafia families everywhere, "We could really use the public support right now… because the next place they are coming is Italy".
Pinto pauses for a few moments, "I will strongly consider your suggestion he says". The reason this has never been revealed to the public before is to prevent a lack of control. If everyone suddenly became super-powered like the mafia it would lead to a world where the strong dominated the weak, something that the system desperately wanted to prevent.
"And Mr Silva" Gokudera prompts.
"You have something you want from the church" the Pope asks with surprise in his voice.
"Yeah" begins Gokudera, "Ask every member of your church to pray for the recovery of Sawada Tsunayoshi because he is your last hope".